


In These Arms (Epilogue) - Part One

by mrpicard



Series: Star Trek: TNG - In These Arms (Epilogue) [1]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: Ambassador Picard, Bartender - Freeform, Children, First Day of School, Friendship, M/M, Marriage, Married Couple, Married Life, New Friends, Picard family, School, Vulcan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-09-28 11:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10099082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrpicard/pseuds/mrpicard
Summary: The Picard family has settled down on Vulcan, and life goes on - but not without changes everyone has to adjust to.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set about two years after the final part of the main "In These Arms" series.

 

The shuttle slowly descended and only when its engines had been switched off did its door open and Alex jump out and onto the sandy surface of the parking lot.

He turned around and stuck his head into the shuttle in order to look at Laurent, who was sitting in the back. "You behave on your last kindergarten day today, okay?"

The boy nodded.

Alex looked at Picard in the pilot's seat. "You have a good day, too - oh and try not to murder T'Rella...?"

"It will be difficult to restrain myself," Picard admitted, smiling slightly. "See you this afternoon."

"See you."

 

***********

 

 

The bar was dimly lit and also mercifully air-conditioned - not everyone was as comfortable with heat as Vulcans were, and, as efficient as hyposprays were nowadays, they could get a person only _so_ far.

"Falk?" Alex called as soon as the door had closed behind him.

A tall man in a tux appeared from behind the bar. "Morning, Alex. You're early."

"Yeah, I know. Laurent couldn't wait to get to kindergarten - today's his last day there."

"Oh, right, you mentioned that." Falk briefly ran his hand through his long black hair. "Must be tough for the little guy to know that school starts for him soon, huh?"

"You could say that - he's dreading it," Alex sighed and walked up to the bar. "He hates having to get to know too many people at the same time, especially when it's other children. I guess we kept him isolated on the Enterprise for too long after all."

"But he _had_ friends there," Falk objected.

"Yes, but they were either adults or teenagers. He still has no problems whatsoever with either - but other children? Takes him weeks to even talk to them."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Falk said. "School will teach him how to overcome that."

"I hope so." Alex put his hands on the bar. "Now... anything out of the ordinary last night?"

"Not really, just the usual that happens when Klingons show up."

"Oh, shit."

"Yup. There was a small delegation in here last night, and I'm just glad I could keep them from smashing the furniture after a few mugs of bloodwine."

"Sorry I wasn't there."

"It's okay, it was your night off - and now it's _your_ turn with the early morning shift while _I_ can go to bed," Falk yawned. "Not sure if Merlinda's gonna let me, though."

"Hmm?"

"Our shuttle's broken and I promised to be her repair assistant."

"Sounds like as if sleep isn't an option."

"Most likely not," Falk agreed and picked up a small bag. "I gotta go now, the shuttle bus arrives in ten minutes."

"See you, then."

"See you - and please, give Laurent my best."

"Will do."


	2. Chapter 2

Picard glanced briefly at the shuttle that he had set down in the parking lot and then turned towards his son, who was standing next to him.  "Laurent? Is something wrong? You've been rather quiet ever since we left home."

The boy looked at the ground where little whirls of sand were dancing around his boots. "It's my last day in kindergarten today."

Picard frowned. "I don't understand - you were in quite a hurry to get here this morning, I thought it was because you can't wait to leave it behind...?"

Silence.

Picard looked once more at his son and then slowly knelt down in front of him. "Laurent, please. Talk to me. You know you can tell me anything."

"I'm scared of school."

"Ah." Picard put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I've told you before, you don't have to be scared. School will be wonderful - you'll like it there."

"I won't be able to go outside and look at the desert anymore."

"That's not true - the Embassy's elementary school puts a strong emphasis on outdoor activities because many of the children who are sent there grew up on starships and need to get to know nature. You won't be confined to a classroom all morning, don't worry. It won't be all math and grammar."

"I'd still rather go to kindergarten than school."

Picard sighed softly.

"Can we go back to the Enterprise?" Laurent pressed. "There was no kindergarten and no school there."

"Hmm, no - if we had stayed there, we would have had to arrange for a teacher for you, and I promise that this would have been worse for you than going to school here on Vulcan."

Laurent looked up. "Why?"

"Because a teacher just for you means the teacher focuses on _you_ only and you have to answer _every_ question. You don't have classmates who can help, you're all on your own."

"Oh."

"Oh is right - and now let's go, shall we?" Picard got up, wiped the sand from his pants, took Laurent's hand and the two of them began to walk away from the shuttle.

 

**********

 

Picard slowly walked down the hallway of the floor on which his office was located, mentally preparing for what was about to come - or rather, _who_. 

And, sure enough, there she was.

"Good morning, T'Rella."

"Good morning, Ambassador." His Vulcan aide waited until he had walked up to her and then raised her hands in which she was holding a bunch of PADDs. "These are the latest Federation News articles. I've also put together more information on the diplomatic tensions between the Federation and the Sheliak Corporate."

"Thank y-"

"I must also inform you that you have a visitor waiting for you in your office."

"A visitor?" Picard echoed. "At this early hour? I was not aware of any appointment."

"Neither was I," T'Rella shot back. "However, you don't always find it necessary to tell me about your visitor arrangements, which is why, to me, his presence seems logical and consistent with your usual irrational behavior concerning appointments."

_'Ouch.'_

"Alright, then. I'll take care of it." Picard took the PADDs from her and walked into his office, as always relieved at the sound of the door closing behind him - and then he almost dropped everything when he saw who was waiting for him. "Worf?!"

The Klingon Ambassador turned away from the window through which he had been looking and faced Picard. "Captain."

"Worf, you know it's 'Ambassador' now..."

The Klingon was unimpressed. "Your Starfleet rank is still valid, is it not?"

"It is." Picard smiled slightly, walked up to his desk and put the PADDs down. "So... what brings you to Vulcan?"

"A personal matter."

"Oh." Picard resisted the urge to ask what that matter was - if Worf wanted to tell him, he would do so.

"I came to see if you wanted to have lunch with me at 11.30. There is a Klingon restaurant nearby."

"I've heard of it," Picard confirmed. "It has an excellent chef - I believe he used to be stationed on Deep Space Nine...?"

"Yes." Worf looked at his former captain. "Then you will accompany me later?"

"I would be honored."


	3. Chapter 3

 

"Are you sure you don't want me to fetch you a hypo?" Alex asked and looked at Picard, who was lying on the couch with his eyes closed, a pained expression on his face.

"No. The stomach is _meant_ to feel like this after you've eaten spicy gagh. It's a test of strength."

Alex shook his head, took his dinner that he had just replicated for himself and carried it to the table next to the couch. "I guess there's no point in asking if you want some fries?"

Picard made a disgusted sound.

"Thought so. Looks like as if I'm really lucky tonight since I won't have to defend them against Laurent either."

Picard opened his eyes. "Where is he? I didn't see him outside when I came home earlier."

"Oh, sorry - I forgot to tell you. The kindergarten called and said they're going to take the kids on an adventure tour tonight - some kind of treat on their last day."

"Laurent agreed to this? That doesn't sound like him at all."

Alex sat down and began to eat. "He seemed rather enthusiastic about it when I spoke to him; I think what convinced him was the promise of seeing animals and plants you don't see during the day."

"They won't walk around all night, will they?"

"No, of course not. I'll go and pick him up later at around midnight."

"I'll go with you," Picard said and rubbed his stomach. "This will have passed until then."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I only ate spicy gagh, not extremely spicy gagh. _That_ pain would last for a few _days_ instead of hours."

"Klingons really never do anything pleasant without a certain amount of pain, huh?" Alex shoved another fry into his mouth. "By the way, what was it that Worf wanted from you?"

Picard adjusted the pillow under his head. "He just wanted to talk about old times."

Alex frowned. "That doesn't sound like Worf."

"There was a personal matter as well," Picard admitted. "However, I promised him not to talk about it."

"Ah, okay. Does it have to do with Lirka?"

Picard froze. "How did you know?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I'm a bartender, I hear things - especially when Klingon delegations show up in the bar and loudly discuss their Ambassador's complicated relationship status with a Klingon lady he met only a few weeks ago here on Vulcan."

Picard harrumphed. "I hope Worf won't accuse _me_ of being the one who talked."

"I doubt that. He knows you'd never say anything." Alex took a chicken nugget from his plate. "It's rather cute that he came to _you_ for relationship advice, though."

"It wasn't exactly like that. Worf would never ask for advice on this, especially not from me."

"Why not? You're well-versed in matters of Klingon culture."

"That might be, but Klingon mating rituals are an entirely different subject."

"Hmm." Alex took another fry. "I think they're fascinating."

Picard looked at his husband. "How much do _you_ know about them?"

"In case you forgot, I used to work in a strip club bar in Germany's most famous red light district. I've seen a lot of things, including Klingon mating rituals."

"You mean..."

"I thought it would make an interesting evening when I got the offer - you don't get to see this very often."

Picard gaped at him. "You... you _watched_ them?"

"Sure. Two Klingon warrior guys having a go at it? Wouldn't miss that one for the world."

"Alexander..."

"What? They asked if I wanted to watch, and I said yes. So...?"

Picard shook his head. "It never ceases to amaze me how your past still manages to surprise me sometimes."

"Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"No, of course not - but it _does_ make me worried about your safety. Two male Klingon warriors in full mating force... that _is_ a sight to behold and fear."

Alex looked at him. "Wait a second - you've seen it first-hand too, haven't you?"

Picard blushed. "Once, during my Academy days... but it was only a holographic recording."

Alex grinned. "Ah, I see." He took the last fry from his plate and ate it. "You don't want to talk about it, though, right?"

"I would prefer to not even _think_ about it."

"Gotcha." Alex put his plate on the table, stood up, walked over to Picard and sat down next to him on the couch. "How's your stomach?"

"Getting better."

"Anything I can do?"

Picard smiled at him. "Maybe... put your hand on it?"

Alex did so and then grinned naughtily. "You know, it's a shame... Laurent is gone for now and we have the house all to ourselves... and _you_ are incapacitated."

Picard returned the grin. "I _am_ expecting a full recovery within the next 30 minutes or so."

"Oh, really?" Alex leaned down until his face was only inches away from Picard's. "Is there a way for me to speed up that process?"

"Possibly," Picard said softly, raised his hand and ran it through Alex' graying hair. "You could stay right where you are."

"I have no intention of leaving," the bartender whispered, leaned forward even more and enjoyed the long and tender kiss that followed.


	4. Chapter 4

Laurent looked around in the huge classroom into which his new teacher had led him and his classmates a little while ago. It looked very nice, there were balloons and even confetti and it all seemed more like a birthday party than a first school day - but Laurent still could not bring himself to feel anything other than dread.

"Hello, young man."

He looked up and directly at Miss Gelo, his new teacher, who was looking at him through pitch-black eyes. The boy felt a shiver at the intense gaze - her presence made him uncomfortable even though she had told everyone that she was only half Betazoid and could not read thoughts, only emotions.

"You're Laurent Picard, aren't you?" she asked, smiling.

He nodded slowly.

She smiled even more. "Why don't you go and sit over there next to Sarok?" She pointed at a nearby desk where a Vulcan boy was sitting, an empty chair next to him. "He's new to the embassy and the school, and I think he's as lost as you seem to be."

Laurent looked at him but did not move.

"Come on, Sarok won't mind," Miss Gelo assured him.

' _Easy for **you** to say_ ', Laurent thought and then slowly began to walk over to Sarok's desk - sitting down _was_ still better than ending up alone in front of the class.

The young Vulcan looked up shortly before Laurent had reached the desk. "Hello."

"Hello."

"Have you been assigned to this desk as well?"

Laurent nodded.

Sarok pulled the second chair back. "Have a seat."

"Thanks." Laurent took off his backpack, sat down and put his school cone on the desk.

Sarok looked at it. "What's the purpose of this?"

"It's my school cone."

"That's what it's called, not its function."

Laurent thought for a moment before he answered. "It's a cone with lots of candy inside. Human children get this from their parents when they go to school for the first time."

"There are several human children here, and yet most of them don't have a school cone," Sarok observed.

"Papa Alex says it's mostly a German tradition."

"Your father is from Germany on Earth?"

"Yes."

"And your mother?"

"I have another father. He's French, and his name is Jean-Luc."

Sarok tilted his head. "Ah, yes... I see the resemblance now. Your father is Ambassador Picard."

Laurent nodded. "What about your parents? What are they called?"

Sarok opened his mouth in order to reply but was stopped by the sound of Miss Gelo clapping her hands. "Listen up, everyone! We're all set for our very first lesson today, so please, no more conversations - you'll have plenty of time for that later!"

 

**********

  
  
Picard and Alex had just begun to feel sufficiently uncomfortable between all the excited parents who had been assembled in front of the school in order to wait for their children to come out when the school doors finally opened. The rush of children lasted for about ten seconds, and then less and less of them came out until the doorway remained empty.

"Alexander, do you see Laurent?" Picard asked and looked around in confusion.

"No, I don't... where is he?"

Picard suddenly spotted the teacher who had escorted Laurent and his new classmates out of the school's auditorium earlier and quickly walked over to her, Alex right behind him. "Excuse me? Miss Gelo, isn't it?"

"Yes - hello, Ambassador Picard. What can I do for you?"

Picard pointed at the school doors. "Would you happen to know where Laurent is? He didn't came out with the other children."

Gelo frowned briefly - and then she smiled. "I think I know where to find him. Follow me, please."

She began to walk towards the school and the Picards briefly looked at each other before they followed her inside. She led them down a long corridor, then stopped in front of a classroom door with the number 10 on it and opened it.

Inside the classroom two boys were sitting on a desk, looking at old-fashioned cards that they had spread out in front of them.

"And that's a Lirpa."

"I've heard of them - do you have one at home?"

"Yes. My father keeps one. He fought for my mother with it."

"Really?"

"Yes. It was a fight to the death."

"Wow!"

"Laurent, Sarok!" Gelo interrupted. "What are you two still doing here? I _told_ you to come out with the others!"

Laurent looked at her, startled. "I... umm... I asked Sarok to show me his Vulcan culture card collection."

"It was logical to comply with his request," Sarok agreed.

"Now don't try to excuse things with logic," Gelo scolded and turned towards the Picards. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright," Picard assured her and then looked at Laurent. "We should leave now, son - we wanted to go to your favorite restaurant for lunch, remember?"

"Can Sarok come with us?"

Picard frowned. "Are his parents not here?"

"My parents are at work until later this evening," Sarok said. "I'm supposed to go home and meditate until then."

"You can have lunch with us and meditate afterwards," Laurent suggested. "Can he, Papa Jean-Luc? Please?"

Picard glanced at Alex. "What do you think?"

The bartender shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Laurent focused his attention on his new friend. "It would be logical to eat before you meditate, right?"

Sarok made a thoughtful face. "Hmm. I'm not sure."

"Oh please, come with us!" Laurent begged. "You could show me the rest of your cards!"

"I could, yes." Sarok slowly began to collect the cards. "It _is_ logical to finish what one has started. I'll come with you."


	5. Chapter 5

Picard walked into the living room and put the book he had been carrying on the dinner table.

"Back already?" Alex wondered.

"I didn't have to read him a lot tonight - he practically fell asleep right after the first paragraph."

Alex smiled, leaned back on the couch and put his feet on the small table in front of it. "I'm really glad this day went the way it did. I was a little concerned when I saw that none of Laurent's kindergarten friends had ended up in his class." He looked at Picard, who walked up to the couch and then sat down next to him. "What do you know about Sarok and his parents?"

"Not much, even though his father started to work at the embassy about two weeks ago. So far, however, there has been no logical reason for him to talk to me, which is why he hasn't done so."

"What about his wife?"

"All I know is that she's a professor at the University of Vulcan."

"Hmm." Alex crossed his legs on the table. "It still seems a little strange to me that neither of them came to pick up Sarok after school."

"Vulcans operate under the assumption that it's necessary for a child to go to school, therefore they see no reason to celebrate the first time it happens."

"Logical," Alex concluded. "Of course."

"Don't worry, Vulcan culture still baffles me as well sometimes - especially as far as T'Rella is concerned."

"I thought she's a lot more approachable now after that coffee incident she had with Worf?"

" _She_ is, but Worf is _not_. He tries to avoid her whenever he visits."

Alex chuckled. "Sounds just like him - but then I guess he has a certain other lady to meet here on Vulcan now anyway."

Picard raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you know that I don't?"

"Falk told me about it today - the Klingon delegation was in the bar again last night, celebrating his 'victory'. Worf and Lirka are now mates."

"I'm pleased to hear that," Picard said. "And also somehow rather glad to be human."

"You mean you _wouldn't_ want for T'Rella and your other aides to sit in a bar and drink Château Picard in your honor after you've secured a mate?"

"Definitely not," Picard retorted. "And besides, I don't need to secure a mate." He smiled at his husband. "I already _have_ one."


End file.
